NEW DELHI: The latest FIDE ratings for March 2025 have brought significant shifts in the chess world, with GM Gukesh Dommaraju reaching a career-high world number-three ranking.
His remarkable performance at the Tata Steel Chess Masters 2025 — a runner-up medal — saw him surpass underperforming GMs Fabiano Caruana and Arjun Erigaisi, solidifying his position as one of the top players globally.
Meanwhile, GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu made a stunning return to the top-10 after clinching the Tata Steel Masters title following a tie-break against Gukesh.
GM Magnus Carlsen continues to dominate as world number-one, while GM Hikaru Nakamura has climbed to second place, capitalising on Caruana’s struggles at Tata Steel.
The tournament proved challenging for Caruana and Arjun, both of whom suffered rating losses.
Gukesh’s first major event since becoming World Champion was nearly perfect, with only a final-round loss preventing him from lifting the Tata Steel trophy.
However, his stellar play still pushed him up the rankings, and he remains focused on his goal of becoming world number-one.
Praggnanandhaa, on the other hand, had the best tournament outcome, gaining 17 rating points and leaping to world number-eight. His victory at Tata Steel made him the first Indian to win the event since GM Viswanathan Anand in 2006.
He further strengthened his position by securing another win at the Prague International Chess Festival, pushing him to world number-seven in live rankings.
The Monaco FIDE Women’s Grand Prix also impacted the ratings.
GM Tan Zhongyi, initially tied with Women’s World Champion GM Ju Wenjun, had a mixed performance, dropping six points.
IM Bibisara Assaubayeva and IM Divya Deshmukh also faced tough tournaments, leading to significant rating losses. GM Koneru Humpy, holding the sixth spot, remains the sole Indian player in the women’s top 10. R Vaishali and Harika Dronavalli are 14th and 16th, respectively.
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